Zain shook with the weight of his emotions, making it impossible for him to stand still. But the man before him Mr. Oberoy, watched him with a gaze full of conflicting emotions.
Finally, with a sigh, Oberoy spoke. "I can change the past," he admitted, "but doing so may lead to greater problems in the future."
His words carried an ominous warning, yet they did nothing to shake Zain's resolve. His expression remained firm, unwavering. He had already made his decision.
Seeing this, Oberoy let out another sigh, his voice turning heavy with something Zain couldn't quite place pity, perhaps?
"You will regret it once you learn the truth about your life," Oberoy murmured.
A flicker of suspicion crossed Zain's mind as he narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean? Why would I regret it? If I can change the past, if I can erase all my mistakes, then what is there to regret?"
Oberoy shook his head, his gaze holding an unfathomable depth.
"It's not as simple as you think, my little friend."
Irritation flared in Zain's chest. "Don't call me that," he snapped.
"My name is Zain. And tell me, what could possibly make me regret saving my parents, my friends… the people I loved?"
Oberoy simply sighed. "Then don't blame me for what comes next. You might end up feeling more guilty than you ever have. You might even begin to hate your own existence."
His words sent a shiver down Zain's spine. But he had come too far to turn back now. He clenched his fists, his voice steady despite the storm raging inside him.
"I don't care," he declared. "I'll do anything to save them. Just tell me what I have to do."
Oberoy studied him for a moment before nodding. "Very well. Give me your hand."
The moment Zain's fingers brushed against Oberoy's palm, a sudden burst of purple light surged forward, wrapping around his body like a living entity. His breath hitched as the luminous energy melded into his skin, forming an armor, an eerie, glowing shell that pulsed with power.
Then, he heard Oberoy's voice, except this time, it was inside his head.
Don't be afraid. This is necessary. You need this armor to prevent detection… and to keep yourself from being killed by ****.
Oberoy's words blurred into an unintelligible murmur, a static noise that sent sharp pains shooting through Zain's skull. A splitting headache overtook him as he instinctively tried to decipher what he had said.
His body convulsed, the pain worse than anything he had ever experienced, even worse than when he had fallen into the void after his death.
"Don't be impulsive, Zain," Oberoy's voice warned, now laced with urgency. "If you try to remember my words, you might die. Just remember, this world is not as simple as it seems."
Zain struggled to breathe, his mind a chaotic mess.
"So… can we go now?" he asked, his voice hoarse but resolute.
This time, Oberoy smiled. A real, genuine smile. And then, with a strange glint in his eyes, he chuckled.
"It's been a long time since I broke any rules," he said, an almost childlike excitement creeping into his tone.
Then, he burst into laughter...a deep, wild laugh that sent a chill through the already cold void surrounding them.
His eyes darkened as he looked up into the abyss above.
"Do you know how you ended up in this pit of darkness?" he asked suddenly.
Zain hesitated, shaking his head. "No. I have no idea why I'm even alive. Let alone why I'm here."
Oberoy smiled again, but this time, there was something unsettling in it.
"You will know soon enough," he said cryptically. "Try to stay sane when you learn the truth."
Before Zain could process his words, his armor erupted in a dazzling display of energy. White-hot pain lanced through his entire being as a rush of unknown force surged through him.
"Relax, Zain," Oberoy's voice echoed in his mind. "You need to stay calm. If you panic, you might lose your loved ones again. I can only do this once."
Zain forced himself to nod, swallowing the fear creeping up his throat.
Oberoy grinned. "Then let's go back to the past."
His laughter reverberated in Zain's skull, his voice now fully merged with his thoughts.
The purple armor cocooned him completely as he felt himself accelerating, moving at an impossible speed. The void blurred around him as he was hurled forward, the force pressing against his body like an unseen weight.
The next thing he saw was a blinding white light.
He barely had time to react before it swallowed him whole.
The instant the light clashed against his armor, he felt it an unbearable heat, as if his entire being was being seared away, erased from existence. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he noticed something horrifying, his armor was cracking.
"You see," Oberoy's voice drifted into his mind, "if you had attempted to enter the material world without this armor, you would have been nothing more than scattered gas by now."
Zain gritted his teeth, pushing forward despite the resistance. The light was eating away at his armor, stripping it away layer by layer.
He wasn't sure how long he endured it. Seconds? Minutes? Hours?
But finally, the resistance lessened. His speed decreased, and then,
He crashed into an invisible entity.
The impact sent a violent shock through his body, as if every cell had been momentarily shattered and reconstructed all over again. Cracks formed on his skin, his very existence teetering on the edge of collapse.
Before he could dissolve into nothingness, Oberoy's voice cut through the haze.
"Material bodies are crucial in the lower worlds," he stated firmly, his tone devoid of its usual humor. "Even a little strength can change fate. Remember that."
A thought slipped through Zain's weary mind.
"He's… kind of cool."
Oberoy chuckled. "I heard that, you know."
Zain groaned. "Stop laughing like a maniac then."
They both burst into laughter, the absurdity of their situation momentarily forgotten.
"You remind me of ****," Oberoy began, but his words were cut short.
Because the scene before them had changed.
They were inside a house. Not just any house, Zain's house.
His body stiffened, his hands trembling.
The walls were made of mud and straw, the scent of damp earth filling his nostrils. He recognized the old neem-wood bed in the corner, the same bed he used to lie on with his parents, listening to their stories before falling asleep.
Every detail was as he remembered.
The memories hit him like a tidal wave, their warmth almost unbearable.
Then, a familiar voice drifted from the next room, a voice he had not heard in what felt like an eternity.
Gentle. Sweet. Comforting.
His mother's voice.
Tears pricked his eyes before he could stop them.
"Who's there?"
The soft, feminine voice called out again as the door creaked open.
His breath hitched.
And then, she stepped into view.
She was young, no older than twenty. Long black hair cascaded down her back, thick and shining with youth. Her face was radiant, her skin glowing like moonlight. A small nose, soft pink lips…
She was exactly as he remembered her.
A lifetime's worth of emotions surged within him, threatening to break free.
But before he could take a step forward, Oberoy's voice whispered sharply in his mind.
"Stay quiet. Do not interfere. Do not disturb the timeline."
Zain clenched his fists. His body trembled.
He had traveled through time. He had defied the laws of existence.
And yet...
He could do nothing.
He could only stand there and watch his mother, so close yet so far away, unable to tell her the words he had wanted to say for so long.
"I missed you, Mom!"